A 28 year-old Heswall man has become the latest offender on Merseyside to be jailed as part of Operation Venetic – an international operation targeting criminals who used a mobile encryption service to try to evade detection.

Adam Plant, of Downfield Close, West Derby Village, but formerly from Heswall, was identified after sharing an image on his encro device of cannabis in the palm of his hand.

Fingerprint analysis was used to identify Plant from the image and detectives were also able to link him to an image of a distinctive £66,000 Philippe Patek watch after recovering a matching image of him wearing the watch on his own mobile phone.

He left further clues within his encro chat including the details of vehicles he used and pictures from the balcony of his former address.

Plant, who used the handle 'waryfork' on encrochat, was arrested at his home address on 8th April this year.

He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to supply Class A and B drugs (cocaine, heroin, cannabis and ketamine) and was jailed today, Monday 19th July, at a Nightingale court at the Hilton Hotel in Liverpool for six years and nine months.

To date, in total 143 people have been arrested and 110 people charged on Merseyside as part of Operation Venetic. Thirty one people have so far pleaded guilty and been sentenced to a total of 366 years. Plant's sentence now takes that total to over 372 years.

Community policing Superintendent Martin Earl said: "Today we have seen another sentencing as part of national Operation Venetic, which came about after law enforcement officials in Europe managed to crack the 'encrochat' service being used by criminals involved in serious and organised crime to carry out their business.

"Proceeds of crime investigations will follow which serves as a further warning to those involved in such serious criminality that we will seek to strip you of your ill gotten gains as well as putting you before the courts.

"Our work to track these criminals down and bring down serious and organised criminal groups remain ongoing. To those who we haven't got to yet, our message is clear … expect the knock at the door

"Merseyside Police, along with law enforcement agencies across the world, will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of those people who think they are above the law, and we will continue to target anyone involved in serious organised crime to keep this positive momentum going."